Skateboards are well known and currently used by individuals for purposes of exercise, recreation and competition. Various skateboard designs are known in the art. Traditional skateboards typically comprise a longitudinally elongated, roughly planar platform having on the bottom surface two straight axles positioned transversely across each end of the platform. The axles are mounted to the bottom surface of the platform by a truck. Wheels pivotally mounted on the ends of the axles provide a motive base.
There are a variety of commercially available wheels, boards and trucks. In addition to there being a number of truck manufacturers, there are a number of different types and designs of trucks that are used for different skateboarding conditions. For example, there may be a truck type that is particularly adapted to a certain riding mode (e.g., stairs, railings, bowls, spines or pipes) that is unsuitable for other courses or riding modes. This is due in part to the tightness or softness of the truck pivoting assembly, the size of the truck, and the type of wheels. Trucks also generally have a tightness adjustment so that the same truck can be tightened up to require more turning force. Thus, the same trucks can be used to cover a range of skateboarding conditions.
However, despite the fact that trucks are generally adjustable, a competition rider may have several truck sets that he/she will switch on and off of the board during the course of the various events in a typical skateboarding competition. Additionally, the rider typically needs to periodically adjust the tension on the truck, and tighten any nuts or bolts that may loosen during use. Also, in order to keep their boards in good working order, skateboarders must periodically replace worn out parts, such as wheels and wheel bearings, so that their skateboards may continue to function properly.
Nuts and bolts of various sizes are used for adjusting the truck, securing the truck to the board and for securing the wheels onto the ends of the axles. These nuts and bolts often have limited accessibility (i.e., are in tight spaces) and, thus, can be very difficult and cumbersome to loosen or remove using traditional pliers or wrenches. Even dedicated skateboard tools that are currently available are not ideal in this respect. In particular, the nut or bolt used to secure the truck to the board (typically, 3/8" hexagonal socket size) is usually difficult to directly access because of a proximal lip or overhang found on many popular truck designs.
For definitional purposes, a nut or bolt used to secure a truck to a board is referred to herein as a "truck fastener" and a socket used for adjusting a truck fastener is referred to herein as a "truck fastener socket."
Currently available skateboard tools are usually generally T-shaped and consist of three arms. Socket heads having sockets of various sizes are located at the ends the arms. However, each of the sockets is generally aligned with an arm (i.e., the center axis of the socket is co-linear or at least parallel with the longitudinal axis of the arm to which it is attached). As a result, these tools are cumbersome to use in tight spaces or where direct in-line access to the nut or bolt is restricted (i.e., where access is best made from the side, preferably diagonally, instead of in-line, as in a conventional screwdriver). Examples of such tool designs are illustrated in Design U.S. Pat. No. 308,327 and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,736, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a skateboard tool having sockets that facilitate use with the various nuts and bolts found on skateboards, especially where there may be limited access. In particular, there is a need for a skateboard tool having a truck fastener socket (usually, 3/8" socket size) which is oriented to permit access to a truck fastener despite the proximal lip or overhang found on many contemporary truck designs.